Ravens v Chiefs kicks off action - all you need to know about NFL season

The caller NFL play is upon america and history beckons for nan Kansas City Chiefs.

After winning nan past 2 Super Bowls, they person nan chance to go nan first squad to triumph 3 connected nan bounce.

Star players Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are group to look fierce title successful nan AFC Conference, however, pinch nan long-suffering New York Jets looking to get successful connected nan act.

After losing caller backmost Aaron Rodgers conscionable 4 snaps into past year's play opener, nan Jets person bolstered their roster for nan return of nan NFL's four-time Most Valuable Player.

Lamar Jackson was past season's MVP aft helping nan Baltimore Ravens to nan regular season's champion record, and they person brought successful Derrick Henry, nan league's two-time rushing leader.

The Chiefs defeated nan Ravens successful nan play-offs, earlier beating nan San Francisco 49ers successful Super Bowl 58, and those teams are favourites to meet again successful nan NFL's title decider.

But 2 rivals successful nan NFC Conference dream to situation nan 49ers having picked up imaginable superstars successful nan draft.

This play nan large crippled returns to 'the Big Easy' and nan roadworthy to Super Bowl 59 successful New Orleans starts successful Kansas City connected Thursday (01:20 BST Friday), pinch a repetition of past season's AFC Championship crippled betwixt nan Chiefs and Ravens.

At nan commencement of past season, immoderate still questioned whether nan Chiefs were a dynasty arsenic they were yet to triumph back-to-back titles.

They put an extremity to that statement by winning connected nan roadworthy during nan play-offs earlier coming from down to beat nan 49ers successful Las Vegas.

They person reached 4 of nan past 5 Super Bowls, winning three. Most importantly, past play they became nan first squad to triumph consecutive titles since nan New England Patriots successful nan 2003 and 2004 seasons.

Now nan Chiefs and backmost Mahomes tin spell 1 amended pinch a Super Bowl 'three-peat', thing nary different NFL squad has managed - not moreover nan Patriots pinch Tom Brady.

In nan NFL's 104-year history, nan Green Bay Packers won 3 consecutive titles from 1929-31 and 1965-67, but only nan past 2 of those titles were successful nan Super Bowl era.

That makes them 1 of 8 teams to triumph back-to-back Super Bowls, pinch 3 making it arsenic acold arsenic nan Conference Championship crippled nan pursuing play - nan Pittsburgh Steelers (1976), nan 49ers (1990) and nan Dallas Cowboys (1996).

"I mean, there's a logic why no-one's ever done it," said Brady, who makes his NFL broadcasting debut arsenic Cleveland big Dallas connected Sunday.

"I'm not saying it can't beryllium done. It surely can. And nan Chiefs person a awesome opportunity to do it. They've sewage a batch of awesome pieces successful place."

After luring Rodgers from Green Bay connected a two-year woody past year, it was thought to beryllium Super Bowl aliases bust for nan Jets.

Well, past play was very overmuch a bust arsenic Rodgers tore his Achilles minutes into his debut. In 1 fell swoop, nan Jets' Super Bowl model was slashed successful half. There is nary guarantee that Rodgers, 40, will play adjacent year.

The Jets already had a coagulated defence but person bolstered their violative statement to springiness Rodgers greater protection arsenic they purpose to halt nan NFL's longest progressive play-off drought. It stretches backmost to nan 2010 season, erstwhile Rodgers claimed his solitary Super Bowl triumph pinch Green Bay.

Should nan Jets extremity that grim run, they will look a full caller situation to spell each nan measurement arsenic nan AFC Conference is stacked pinch imaginable Super Bowl contenders.

The Cincinnati Bengals are nan past squad to person stopped nan Chiefs reaching nan Super Bowl, earlier they lost to nan Los Angeles Rams successful 2022, and they person backmost Joe Burrow backmost from injury.

CJ Stroud intends to travel up a good rookie season, erstwhile he led nan Houston Texans into nan play-offs, while Cleveland and Baltimore person 2 of nan NFL's champion defences.

The Ravens besides led nan NFL for rushing yards past play and person signed devastating moving backmost Derrick Henry to shape what could beryllium a frightening tandem pinch dual-threat backmost Lamar Jackson.

San Francisco person been knocking connected nan door. Over nan past 5 seasons they person reached nan NFC Championship crippled 4 times, booking a Super Bowl spot twice.

Yet nan 49ers are still waiting for their first NFL title since 1994, truthful is their Super Bowl model closing?

Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams person resolved their statement issues truthful astir of their star-studded roster remains, but they could now beryllium drinking successful nan past chance saloon.

The 49ers were fixed a scare successful past season's play-offs by some nan Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, who should some amended aft exceeding expectations past term.

The Philadelphia Eagles reached nan Super Bowl successful 2023 and looked connected people for a rematch pinch nan Chiefs earlier suffering a late-season slump.

They person brought successful moving backmost Saquon Barkley from nan New York Giants, their divisional rivals, arsenic they purpose to regroup.

The Chicago Bears famously passed connected Mahomes during nan NFL draught successful 2017, and traded distant nan first prime successful 2023 to springiness Justin Fields different twelvemonth astatine quarterback.

After different underwhelming season, and pinch this year's draught being loaded pinch breathtaking quarterbacks, location was no measurement nan Bears were going to miss retired connected Caleb Williams.

A generational talent connected nan section pinch a superstar persona disconnected it, he could go nan franchise backmost Chicago person ne'er had.

The Bears besides had nan ninth prime and added receiver Rome Odunze to springiness their fans dream of a swift turnaround, arsenic nan Bengals, Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars person managed successful caller years.

The Washington Commanders besides expect a alteration successful fortunes having drafted Jayden Daniels arsenic a grounds six quarterbacks were taken successful nan first 12 picks.

Look retired for Drake Maye pinch nan New England Patriots, though nan Minnesota Vikings person mislaid JJ McCarthy to injury.

The NFL's bid to turn nan crippled internationally continues this season.

Schedule makers person besides worked their magic to create mouth-watering match-ups for primetime TV, opening pinch nan play opener.

The opening play continues pinch nan first regular-season crippled to beryllium played successful Brazil arsenic nan Eagles look nan Packers successful Sao Paulo connected Friday (01:15 BST Saturday), while nan first Monday nighttime crippled (01:15 BST Tuesday) sees nan Jets sojourn nan 49ers - nan squad Rodgers supported arsenic a boy and who overlooked him erstwhile they had nan first prime successful nan 2005 draft.

There's a Super Bowl rematch successful October, a Thanksgiving triple-header, different Black Friday game, positive 2 games connected Christmas Day.

The Brazil task is 1 of 5 world games this season, pinch nan NFL returning to Munich successful November while location will again beryllium 3 games successful London successful October.

There will beryllium a lucifer played successful Spain successful 2025 while Australia and Ireland are among nan markets being considered for early world games.

Like past year, nan Jacksonville Jaguars are playing astatine some Wembley and Tottenham, truthful erstwhile Wales rugby prima Louis Rees-Zammit could make a mid-season return to nan UK.

Rees-Zammit spent nan summertime pinch nan Chiefs earlier joining nan Jags' believe squad and tin beryllium promoted to nan progressive roster up to 3 times during nan season.

The aforesaid goes for nan different 4 athletes who besides came done this year's world subordinate pathway and are now pinch NFL teams - Travis Clayton (Buffalo Bills), Bayron Matos (Miami Dolphins), Praise Olatoke (Carolina Panthers) and Charlie Smyth (New Orleans Saints).